Short hops and hard knocks with Red Sox beat writer Ian Browne.

Extra extra read all about it

Yes, I thought this one was in the bank. Jonathan Papelbon just gives you that feeling. He hadn’t blown a save since May 1 against Oakland. He hadn’t give up a memorably damaging hit since June 3, when A-Rod hit that mammoth homer in the Sunday night game at Fenway, although he did lose that extra inning game in Detroit just before the All-Star break.

Papelbon came into the night holding opponents to a .160 average. He had 13 strikeouts per nine innings. Translation, he is a filthy pitcher so it is news any time he doesn’t convert a save.

We could have been here a real long time. I remember another long night here at the Trop in 2003 when Kevin Millar won it in the 16th with his first hit — a home run — in a Boston uniform.

Thankfully the Devil Rays ran out of pitching, Lugo got that bases loaded walk and Manny and Youk put it away in the 12th.

Wondering why Timlin didn’t pitch when everyone else but Delcarmen (two innings Friday) did? Turns out his shoulder was barking a little. Hopefully it’s just a day to day thing.

That catch by Manny tonight was tremendous. I’ll say it until I’m blue in the face, but he is a better left fielder than people think.

20 Comments

That 2003 game your talking about I believe was the second game of the season that year. Hoe can we forget the first game that year? Bullpen by committee, Crawford takes Chad Fox deep and the Rays win on a walk off. I will never forget that one!!! Pedro pitched well but Embree and Fox couldn’t hold the lead.

If our guys can work that pitch count Vs Kazmir tommorrow even if they don’t score any runs the game should be ours. Just knock-out Kazmir out early and get to that bullpen and we can have the game in the books.

Kyle Snyder’s performance last night was totally underrated. He did an excellent job getting out of that jam in the 10th with a man on 2nd and nobody out.

Kazmir has dominated the Sox at home in his career so I agree that as long as they work his pitch count and Dice-K keeps it close, the Sox should complete the sweep.

The way you get to the majors best record and a 9 game lead in the division? Taking care of the teams you’re supposed to beat: Boston is 9-1 versus Tampa Bay and Baltimore, with 24 of their remaining 58 games left against those two teams.

The most annoying thing taking place during the recent Sox – Cleveland series was those **** “Jungle Drums” pounding just before each pitch was delivered. Jungle Drums pounding is not and has never been part of baseball..it sounds more like a medicine man’s ritual deep in the Jungle. Get Rid of Them!!
Now resurrect the old “Brooklyn Dodger Sin-Phony” of yester year or John Kiley or Gladys Gooding on the organ at the Ole’ Ball yard in the Fens…Now your talking Baseball!!

While it is and should be “to each his own”, just to let you know, those “jungle drums” have been a part of the Cleveland Indians for years and years. If I’m not mistaken, I believe the same guy has been beating the Tribes drum since the late 1970’s. but then again as I said, to each his own!!

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